Pesto Rigatoni | Meatless Rigatoni Pasta with Basil Pesto

This meatless pesto rigatoni is the quickest & tastiest meal for that super busy weeknight! Minimal fuss and happy faces are what this pesto rigatoni guarantees every time you make it!

Pesto keeps recurring in my blog and I simply can’t help it! I have lost count how many recipes using basil pesto I have shared so far in my blog and I am sure this pesto rigatoni is also not the last one!

Basil pesto is such a mind-blowing sauce that you honestly can’t have enough of it! Though I discovered it when I was enhancing my pasta game and found that pesto pasta is one of the most popular pasta dishes across the world, I have used this magic sauce in not only pastas but in almost everything!

Chicken drumsticks roasted with basil pesto, baked chicken breast with basil pesto and many pesto pasta recipes are the most visited pages of my blog till date! So how can I not keep coming back to this incredible ingredient?

The best thing about basil pesto is in its ease of making within just a few minutes and there is no cooking involved. Also it has a great shelf life if you freeze it. So I usually make a big batch and freeze it; then you have the most delicious condiment handy all the time when you crave for it.

What is pesto rigatoni?

To simply put, pesto rigatoni is nothing but rigatoni pasta cooked in basil pesto sauce. But such a simple description does not do any justice to this delicious thing called pesto rigatoni!

I would take the liberty to elaborate! This pesto rigatoni is one of the best pasta dishes that you will ever have thanks to this freshly prepared homemade basil pesto and the melty colby cheddar cheese!

Additionally, this pesto rigatoni is the easiest pasta to make with hardly any time to spend in the kitchen. And being meatless, this can be served to a crowd without worrying who is a meat-eater and who is not and all of them will love it equally!

Ingredients for pesto rigatoni

Just a few ingredients and you will get a fantastic weeknight meal!

Rigatoni: Rigatoni is quite a popular pasta in Italy and I came across this one when I was exploring authentic pasta recipes to amp up my pasta game. These pastas have a ridged exterior and are fairly wide in diameter. They are great at holding sauces both inside and out and are perfect for capturing all the sauce’s flavor. [source]

Extra virgin olive oil: Using a good quality extra virgin olive oil is a must for this pesto rigatoni. Olive oil enhances the taste & flavor of basil pesto significantly. I also drizzle a teaspoon of olive oil over my portion of pasta to get that authentic taste.

Basil pesto: This is the star ingredient of this pesto rigatoni recipe. I made my basil pesto from scratch as it is super easy to make and tastes best when made at home. Please check out my step by step recipe of making basil pesto here; I had added fresh spinach in this version of my basil pesto but that is completely optional.

Yellow cheddar cheese: If you can get your hands on the yellow colby cheddar cheese, then you would have the best version of this pesto rigatoni. This cheese melts beautifully and complements the pesto in the best possible way!

Salt and black pepper: Use salt and black pepper carefully in your final pasta dish as pesto also has salt added to it.

How to make pesto rigatoni?

Here is the step by step process of making the delicious pesto rigatoni!

Step 1: Boil the rigatoni in heavily salted boiling water until the pasta is al-dente i.e. they are soft but not mushy and still have a bite to it. Pastas will be cooked again in pesto sauce, so if you overcook your pasta while boiling, they will break and become completely mushy while tossing with pesto.

Step 2: Reserve about a cup of pasta water before draining the pasta. Then transfer the pasta to a colander and wash it in running water. Leave it on the kitchen counter to let all the excess water drain out.

Step 4: Heat a large pan big enough to hold all the pasta. Add the extra virgin olive oil to it and let it warm up a little but do not heat it to a very high temperature.

Step 5: Once the oil is warm, add the basil pesto. Saute the pesto in olive oil for a good 5 to 6 minutes until oil starts to release.

Step 6: After about 6 minutes, pour a couple of tablespoons of the reserved pasta water to the pan; this will deglaze the plan.

Step 7: Now add the drained rigatoni to the pan and carefully mix them using a spatula. Take time at this stage so that each rigatoni is coated with the pesto and take on the vibrant green color. Season with salt & pepper.

Step 8: When the pastas are nicely coated with pesto, sprinkle the grated cheddar cheese. Lightly mix them in. Then cover the pan with a lid and leave it on lowest heat for about 6 to 8 minutes to allow all the cheese to melt.

Step 9: After about 8 minutes, uncover the pan and check if all the cheese has melted.

Pro tip: Alternatively, you can transfer the pesto rigatoni to a baking dish after Step 7. Then sprinkle the grated cheddar cheese on top of the pasta. Bake this pesto rigatoni in a preheated oven at 180 C/350 F for about 15 minutes. Cheese will melt beautifully and you are ready to serve your pesto rigatoni!

Step 10: Divide your pesto rigatoni into 4 or 5 individual serving plates; drizzle a little olive oil on top, garnish with fresh basil and serve!

Other delicious pasta recipes from flavor quotient